Each week on this page (or as often as possible when I am busy) I intend to feature a bird from our region giving some details about the birds and hints on where it can be found etc. It is an opportunity too to exhibit some of the fantastic photographs some of my clients have taken. This weeks bird is …
English name: Dark-billed Cuckoo
Portuguese name: Papa-largarta-acanelado
Scientific name: Coccyzus melacoryphus
Local subspecies: monotypic
It’s been a while since I’ve had a tick in my own back yard so to speak, so, when I saw this species this week at Rancho Pica Pau, it automatically became my featured bird. It is quite amazing really that I haven’t seen one before now, its habitat choice is very varied from evergreen forest, through forest edge, to open areeas with shrubs and trees. The interesting thing about this record is that according to some literature this bird is a summer visitor here, and we saw it on mid-winter’s day!
Photo © Rafael Fortes.
The bird we saw was an immature with only pale underparts and chin, it sat on top of a bush for a short while before dropping out of sight, returning to the top again for another short period before dropping out of sight permanently.
Photo © Rafael Fortes.